Development drives discussions about downtown

To Denton
visitors, downtown likely means the Square. For residents, it may mean a bit
more — the businesses, bars and eateries along the streets that spin off the
Square, and the apartments and townhouses within walking distance around them.
When planners talk downtown, there could be several different maps on the
table.

Downtown
development drove several hours of conversation among city leaders last week.
The Denton City Council agreed to consolidate some planning boundaries,
reducing the number of maps on the table and laying the groundwork for new
rules that could spur more investment and development downtown.Also,
the Historic Landmark Commission pushed for opportunities to be proactive with
development that affects the city’s historic places.

On
Tuesday, the City Council agreed with a staff recommendation to eliminate the
old central business district map, an area of about 261 acres that includes
land and businesses along Carroll Boulevard and Elm and Locust streets.
Instead, land south of the Square from about Sycamore Street, much of which
lies in a floodplain, and land to the north from about Parkway, McKinney Street
and Quakertown Park will be taken out of the planners’ “downtown” maps.

The
city’s planning director, Brian Lockley, laid out a proposed project as an
example of one that would benefit from the change: new construction on a
1.25-acre lot on Hickory Street that would include residences and retail.

The
council agreed with the consolidation plan but sought more information about a
companion proposal in which developers might pay a fee in lieu of adding
parking spaces. The Hickory Street project, for example, is partially
encumbered by a floodplain and wouldn’t be able to meet the city’s current
requirements to provide the amount of parking required by the rules.

In an
interview Friday, City Council member Jim Engelbrecht said the new development
rules for downtown should help with both redevelopment and infill, both of
which are difficult under the city’s current codes. Yet, he didn’t think that
what’s being proposed now would have worked 25 years ago, because people
expected to park close to the businesses they patronized.

Many
younger adults don’t expect that today, he said.

On
Monday, the Historic Landmark Commission tried for the second time in two
months to talk about a growing list of issues with historic buildings touched
by development downtown — including signage on one building and the removal of
the brick facade on another building along the Square, the demolition of a
Victorian-era house on East Oak Street, and the commercial buildings on East
Hickory caught in the cross hairs of code enforcement.

Commissioner
Deb Conte said the group, if given the chance, can be proactive and pointed to
recent collaborations as successes: new fencing for historic cemeteries and a
new house in the Oak-Hickory Historic District.

Then
commissioners started asking about their authority to weigh in on downtown
development.

Deputy
City Attorney John Knight told them the posted agenda did not list that as a
discussion topic after Commissioner Pati Haworth passed out copies of documents
related to the city’s expected stewardship of historic districts.

Commissioner
Eric Pulido said he, too, wanted to be able to help but felt stymied.

He pointed to a recent controversy that erupted over Subway’s new
lighted sign on the Texas Building — now resolved because the company agreed to
replace it. The building, while in the historic district of the Square, is not
itself historic. The original sign met the city’s current development
requirements but not the sensibilities of many residents who thought it was out
of place in a historic district.

“We’re
not trying to deny anyone, but we’re not just serving business owners, or the
buildings, but something greater,” Pulido said. “I’m not against lighted signs,
and I’d love to have some arguments with you all.”

But,
since it wasn’t on the agenda, the commission could not discuss it further.

Council
member Kevin Roden said that commission members understand that Denton’s
current rules don’t protect historic buildings very well and that many people
around the city have been talking about that recently.

The
current rules reflect concerns from long ago, when people worried that the Oak
Street mansions would be torn down, he said. But he didn’t think the commission
could be completely out front of the issue either — not without talking to property
owners and building coalitions.

“They
need to have some meetings and explore opportunities how to pursue this
[protecting historic buildings] like neighborhoods do,” Roden said.

As a
lifelong resident, Mayor Pro Tem Pete Kamp said she was glad that people care
about the city’s historic character and are talking about it.

“We have
an authentic downtown that other cities try to duplicate,” Kamp said, adding
that she likes that new buildings and old ones flourish side by side.

Council
member Dalton Gregory agreed that both the council and the commission recognize
that downtown’s appeal comes from its authenticity. Some buildings need work in
order to be part of the dynamic growth happening downtown, however, he said. He
saw the commission as having a role addressing those issues.

“We can
preserve the authentic, unique character while being reasonable,” Gregory said.

The
Square itself is not as much of a concern as the rest of downtown, according to
Mayor Mark Burroughs, who called some areas “really challenged.”

“Not
every building is historic, even if it’s old,” Burroughs said.

He, too,
called on the commission to help get feedback from the community.

Council
member Joey Hawkins, who owns a coffeehouse in a historic building on the
Square, agrees that the commission plays a big role in preserving older
buildings downtown, and that property owners and the commission can get the job
done if they don’t focus too much on single issues.

“As long
as everyone has a 30,000-foot view, we can figure out what’s best,” Hawkins
said.

Whatever
the rules become, he added, they need to be explained simply and clearly to
business owners interested in investing in downtown.

Council
member James King said what’s cool about Denton is the growing mix of
businesses and buildings, old and new, that come together, sometimes even in
one building, like a jigsaw puzzle, he said.

He said
he wasn’t sure new rules would ferret out all the problems that come with
developing a mix of old and new, but he hoped the additional flexibility would
help.

“I know
we’re talking about downtown,” King said.“But this is the rub
for [all of] Denton.”

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at
940-566-6881 and via Twitter at @phwolfeDRC.

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